Social Media Best Practices for the Protection of Children

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Why do today's kids use social media?

When adults today were teenagers and couldn’t hang out face-to-face with our friends, phones were the communication tools of the day. But, today’s children and teens now have many social media options. Today's kids find these options more to their liking—and let’s not forget the use of texting—than talking on the phone. They can multitask better via online methods, communicate briefly, and can’t be overheard by their parents.

Also, it’s been suggested that due to parents’ safety concerns in today’s culture, many kids don’t have the freedom to hang out with peers in settings that were common for us when we were teens. As a result, kids use social media, where they can hang out “virtually” with their peers to socialize, chat, and share their thoughts.

When it comes to video, today’s kids don’t have to sit in front of a television for their entertainment. Social media websites such as YouTube, Hulu, Vimeo, and others, make it possible for kids to watch what they want, when they want—on their computers, tablets, and smartphones. On these sites, they can watch, download, comment, and share videos virally with others, and upload their own videos. More and more, teens and childrenare turning to social media to get their entertainment fix.